2026 Aussie Open SP || How it works

[ponchi101]

Survivor Draw Pools are a very simple concept that test your ability not only to pick a winner, but to project your winner through the ups and downs of a draw. You'll also have to know what players can easily win an early round match for you but can be counted on (at least by yourself) to falter as you go through the 14/15 days of a Slam.

For each day of play, you have to pick one - yes, just one - winner each from the men's and women's draw out of all the matches played that day. But once you pick someone, you cannot choose them again for the rest of the tournament. So you really don't want to pick a top player to win in early matches (unless you know something we don't).

To survive in the survivor draw pool, you will have to have gone through up to 14 successive days of picking a winner. If your player's opponent withdraws from their match before any play has started for that day, you will need to make a new pick. However, if your player's opponent withdraws after the start of play, your pick will still be considered valid. Sure it may sound easy (and probably will be) on the first few days of play - but as you get deeper into the draws, you have to start picking based on not only who you think will win, but who is likely to lose down the road. And remember, if you are still alive come semi-final time, you are not only picking who you think would win a semi, but also who would lose the final, since you could not pick the same player again.

Men's and Women's draws are played separately. So if you lose on the men's side but are still alive on the women's, you continue playing the women's draw.

Picks will begin with the release of the Order of Play for Day 1 - you will have until play begins on Day 1 to make your selections. Your selections have to be for a Day 1 match. Subsequently, you can pick your Day 2 winner as soon as the Day 2 order of play is announced, and so on.

Each day, a thread will be started with a header that reads something like in the header : "2026 Aussie Open Surivivor Pool: ATP Day _ Picks" or "2026 Aussie Open SP: Womens Day __ Picks". This is where you'll post your pick for the corresponding day. There will be separate threads for the men's and women's game. The Day 1 thread will be posted sometime shortly after the order of play for Monday of Week 1 is released, and you will then be able to make your first pick.

NOTE: The new TAT2.0 has a feature that if any new posts are added to the topic while you are composing your post (or a reply), YOU WILL BE INFORMED OF THOSE NEW POSTS PRIOR TO POSTING YOURS. Therefore, the SUBMIT action may require TWO clicks (original plus confirmation because new posts have been added while you composed your post). Therefore, at times of great use, as in the few hours before the SP starts, make sure that you have posted properly; do not click submit and sign-out or dash to another topic, as your post may not have been recorded. Make sure it was.

For the Aussie Open, we have implemented a DROP DOWN BOX which will include the payers' names. We recommend and ask you to use the boxes to make your pick and, when you choose them, the name will drop into the reply box. That way, the names will be homogenous, making it easier for our contest staff.

Check this board daily for any updates or rule changes that might be made due to irregularities in the tournament (such as rained out days, etc.)

[ashkor87]

nice feature, the drop down box.

[ptmcmahon]

Drop down box worked fine for my first pick

[NatLee]

Hopefully you have found a solution to those who do not only post last names. Thanks and good job.

[ponchi101]

Glad to hear that. It took us quite a while to work that one out

[catman]

Someone picked Pavkyuchenkova -- if there was ever an incentive to use the drop down box, this was it.

[ponchi101]

You have no idea how much I thought of her when working the code...

[ptmcmahon]

Someone picked Pavkyuchenkova -- if there was ever an incentive to use the drop down box, this was it.

Did you intentionally add a K?

Of all the players over the years, I think hers is the name I spent the most time memorizing how to spell for contest purposes (although I still have to say it out loud in my head.... Pavly ... uchen ... kova)

[normanpm67]

Norrie C. 26 Sakkari

[ptmcmahon]

Norrie C. 26 Sakkari

Make sure to put this in the picks thread instead

[dave g]

Evidently, Cazaux has withdrawn and has been replaced with Blockx. If you have picked Cazaux, you will need to make a new pick.